Q2 oil and gas mergers and acquisitions hit by volatile equity and commodity markets Energize Weekly, July 20, 2022 Oil and gas sector mergers and acquisitions (M&A) buffeted by market volatility slipped in the second quarter of 2022 to $12 billion – an 18 percent decline from the first quarter…
New EPA guidelines on PFAS “forever chemicals” put Frisco far over drinking water limits
New EPA guidelines on PFAS “forever chemicals” put Frisco far over drinking water limits Jul 12, 2022 Drinking water in Frisco is tainted with dangerous levels of the PFAS “forever chemicals” from suspected firefighting foam runoff into nearby creeks, according to new EPA guidance that radically lowered safety levels and…
Ameren, Peabody beef up solar power as fastest-growing power source in US
Ameren, Peabody beef up solar power as fastest-growing power source in US Jul 11, 2022 The region’s outlook for utility-scale solar power is getting brighter. Since February, St. Louis-based electric utility Ameren has kicked its solar expansion into another gear, including the announcement of two separate projects that are each…
FERC Approval of Nexus Natural Gas Pipeline Exports to Canada Upheld
FERC Approval of Nexus Natural Gas Pipeline Exports to Canada Upheld July 11, 2022 A federal appeals court has upheld FERC’s approval of the Appalachia-to-Midwest Nexus Gas Transmission pipeline, siding with the Commission’s assessment of the public benefits of exported gas as part of its certificate decision. Read more
White House backed fund promises to accelerate ‘deep tech’ advancements in cybersecurity
White House backed fund promises to accelerate ‘deep tech’ advancements in cybersecurity JUL 11, 2022 An investment fund supported by the White House and partially bankrolled by tech heavyweights Peter Thiel, Eric Schmidt and Craig Newmark is making a big bet that “deep technologies” will give the U.S. the edge…
U.S. Supreme Court ruling won’t change coal’s downward trend in the power sector
U.S. Supreme Court ruling won’t change coal’s downward trend in the power sector Energize Weekly, July 13, 2022 The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling limiting federal regulation of power plant greenhouse gas emissions will not do much to reverse the decline of coal-fired generation or greenhouse gas emissions, according to two…
Baltimore’s ‘Catastrophic Failures’ at Wastewater Treatment Have Triggered a State Takeover, a Federal Lawsuit and Citizen Outrage
Baltimore’s ‘Catastrophic Failures’ at Wastewater Treatment Have Triggered a State Takeover, a Federal Lawsuit and Citizen Outrage July 3, 2022 Untreated human sewage spews from the city’s two wastewater treatment facilities into rivers and tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay, where 2025 pollution targets have been jeopardized. Read more
Oil prices tumble, benchmark under $100 for first time since May
Oil prices tumble, benchmark under $100 for first time since May JULY 5, 2022 The U.S. crude oil benchmark West Texas Intermediate fell below $100 and the international benchmark Brent crude lost 9.93% on Tuesday amid fears of an economic recession. Read more
DOE launches $500 million effort to turn mines into clean energy hubs
DOE launches $500 million effort to turn mines into clean energy hubs 7.1.2022 A $500 million program funded by the bipartisan infrastructure package aims to transform current and former mines into clean energy hubs. The Dept. of Energy (DOE) issued a Request For Information (RFI) to inform how the program…
Fossil-fuel electric generation challenged in Texas heat wave, raising reliability questions
Fossil-fuel electric generation challenged in Texas heat wave, raising reliability questions Energize Weekly, July 6, 2022 An early season heat wave in May tested the Texas grid, raising questions about the relation of baseload, fossil-fuel generation to wind and solar, according to analysis by the Institute for Energy Economics and…
Wisconsin coal plants to keep running amid reliability, supply chain concerns
Wisconsin coal plants to keep running amid reliability, supply chain concerns Jun 24, 2022 Three of Wisconsin’s largest coal-fired power plants will continue operating for at least another two years. Alliant Energy and the WEC Energy Group each announced plans Thursday to delay previously announced retirements of the Columbia Energy…
Where does your water come from? A look at Mesa, Scottsdale and Tempe supplies
Where does your water come from? A look at Mesa, Scottsdale and Tempe supplies Jun 27, 2022 Up to 70% of water usage for municipal users in Arizona is used outside for plants, grass, and swimming pools, according to the Arizona Department of Water Resources. Read more
Oil and gas production rising in the Permian Basin in the face of mounting costs
Oil and gas production rising in the Permian Basin in the face of mounting costs Energize Weekly, June 29, 2022 Oil and gas production in Texas and New Mexico – the most productive U.S. fields – increased in the second quarter of 2022, even as operators face rising costs and…
Proposed, under construction, abandoned: 6 key US pipeline projects
Proposed, under construction, abandoned: 6 key US pipeline projects June 21, 2022 It’s a complicated time to build a new oil or gas pipeline in the U.S. While the fossil fuel industry continues to see healthy demand and profits amid skyrocketing gasoline prices and war in Ukraine, construction costs are…
Cybersecurity Tools to Protect Solar, Wind Power on the Grid
Cybersecurity Tools to Protect Solar, Wind Power on the Grid June 20, 2022 Solar panels and wind turbines, now projected to produce 44% of America’s electricity by 2050, present cybersecurity challenges. They have sensors, controllers, actuators or inverters that are directly or indirectly connected to the internet. They’re distributed far…
Ameren aims to charge customers for closure of Rush Island coal plant
Ameren aims to charge customers for closure of Rush Island coal plant June 21, 2022 The costs to close the region’s second-largest power plant, after decades of Clean Air Act violations, are rising. Electric utility Ameren has proposed the construction of $244 million in electric lines and other upgrades before…
New York grid operator sees generating margins shrinking, increased reliability risks
New York grid operator sees generating margins shrinking, increased reliability risks Energize Weekly, June 22, 2022 The buffer of extra generating capacity – the reserve or reliability margin – is shrinking in New York State as fossil-fuel plants retire faster than renewable sources are being added, according to an assessment…
DOE: Here’s where renewable costs are heading
DOE: Here’s where renewable costs are heading 06/14/2022 Recent challenges facing wind and solar likely won’t sink their longer-term progress in the United States, as industries figure out ways to keep the cost of renewable power on a downward slope, according to a new peer-reviewed analysis from Lawrence Berkeley National…
Georgia Power retiring some coal units this year but backing off on battery storage
Georgia Power retiring some coal units this year but backing off on battery storage Jun 13, 2022 Georgia Power would retire two coal-burning units and two gas-fired turbines at two power plants by the beginning of August under an agreement filed with the state Public Service Commission (PSC) Monday. But…
Lawsuit filed against Mon Power, FirstEnergy after 2021 house fire
Lawsuit filed against Mon Power, FirstEnergy after 2021 house fire June 10, 2022 A lawsuit filed this week in Monongalia County Circuit Court by a Taylor County couple names Monongahela Power Company (Mon Power) and FirstEnergy Solutions Corp. as defendants, along with Mon Power Supervisor for Distribution Technician James Connor…
U.S. LNG exports soar as Europe scrambles to fill gap left by Russian cutback
U.S. LNG exports soar as Europe scrambles to fill gap left by Russian cutback Energize Weekly, June 15, 2022 Exports of U.S. liquified natural gas (LNG) to Europe soared in the first four months of 2022 and are poised to grow even more as the European Union (EU) scrambles to…
Natural Gas Price Forecast – New Highs Ahead
Natural Gas Price Forecast – New Highs Ahead June 6, 2022 Natural gas prices have moved back towards yearly highs as the bullish trend remains strong. The solid demand for energy in the U.S. and worldwide continues to push energy prices higher, so traders may soon push natural gas prices…
Demand for coal high, but obstacles slow opportunities
Demand for coal high, but obstacles slow opportunities June 4, 2022 Coal production is rebounding slowly in McDowell County as well as in the state, but with the current surge in worldwide as well as domestic demand, the potential market for coal is being hindered by many factors, from manpower…
Westinghouse, Bloom Energy to accelerate large-scale hydrogen production in nuclear industry; high-temperature integrated electrolysis
Westinghouse, Bloom Energy to accelerate large-scale hydrogen production in nuclear industry; high-temperature integrated electrolysis 07 June 2022 Westinghouse Electric Company and Bloom Energy Corporation have entered into a Letter of Intent to pursue clean hydrogen production in the commercial nuclear power market. The companies are teaming to identify and implement…
Activists hail Biden’s use of security powers to boost clean energy
Activists hail Biden’s use of security powers to boost clean energy June 7, 2022 Environmental groups have welcomed Joe Biden’s invoking of national security powers to rapidly expand the production of clean energy technology as a significant advance in the effort to curb dangerous climate breakdown. Read more
Here’s what has to happen before CPS Energy can shut down its last coal plant
Here’s what has to happen before CPS Energy can shut down its last coal plant June 6, 2022 In recent months, and with San Antonio facing stricter air quality regulations, calls to diversify CPS Energy’s generation portfolio and speed up the closure of the J.K. Spruce coal-burning power plant have…
Duke Energy Wants to Quit Coal Early, But Regulators Say No
Duke Energy Wants to Quit Coal Early, But Regulators Say No May 26, 2022 Duke Energy Corp. planned to close its last six coal power plants in the Carolinas by 2030 to accelerate the company’s carbon-cutting goals. South Carolina regulators said no—ordering the US utility to keep the plants open…
NYSEG and RG&E Announce “Reliable Energy New York” Plans
NYSEG and RG&E Announce “Reliable Energy New York” Plans May 26, 2022 Today, New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) and Rochester Gas and Electric (RG&E), subsidiaries of AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR), announced the companies have filed proposed changes to delivery rates with the New York State Public Service Commission…
G7 decide to “predominantly” decarbonise grid by 2035, but drop 2030 coal exit date
G7 decide to “predominantly” decarbonise grid by 2035, but drop 2030 coal exit date 29 May 2022 The environment, climate and energy ministers of the Group of Seven western industrialised states (G7) have agreed to largely decarbonise their electricity sectors within 13 years. Following their meeting in Berlin, the ministers…
Two new pipelines to feed Louisiana Coast LNG export terminals approved by FERC
Two new pipelines to feed Louisiana Coast LNG export terminals approved by FERC Energize Weekly, June 1, 2022 Two natural gas pipeline projects to feed the growing liquified natural gas (LNG) export facilities on the Louisiana Gulf Coast were recently approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The Evangeline…
Washington casts shadow on oil market
Washington casts shadow on oil market May 24, 2022 Proposed United States legislation targeting oil cartel OPEC and its allies for possible antitrust lawsuits could spark chaos and stoke tensions in global energy markets, experts say. Read more
‘Conservative decision’ leads to Palisades nuclear plant early shutdown
‘Conservative decision’ leads to Palisades nuclear plant early shutdown May 23, 2022 Palisades Power Plant shut down its reactor Friday, ending five decades of operation and likely ending Michigan officials’ attempt to find another operator for the west Michigan nuclear facility. Read more
Gas generation down across US West this spring as renewable capacity grows
Gas generation down across US West this spring as renewable capacity grows 23 May 2022 Recent growth in renewable generating capacity across the Western US is putting downward pressure on gas-fired power burns this spring in a trend that’s only likely to accelerate in the years ahead. Read more
Colonial Pipeline Ransomware Attack: Lessons for Technologists
Colonial Pipeline Ransomware Attack: Lessons for Technologists May 23, 2022 While technologists have always understood the damage that ransomware could do to an organization’s infrastructure and data, the May 2021 attack that targeted Colonial Pipeline IT infrastructure changed the game for good. Read more
West and Midwest U.S. face summer electricity shortfalls due to heat, drought, and fire
West and Midwest U.S. face summer electricity shortfalls due to heat, drought, and fire Energize Weekly, May 25, 2022 The West and Midwest U.S. risk severe electricity shortfalls this summer due to high temperatures, drought, severe storms and wildfire – all driven by a changing climate, according to the North…
MIT report says energy storage is crucial to stall climate change
MIT report says energy storage is crucial to stall climate change May 16, 2022 A major report from the MIT Energy Initiative finds the development and deployment of new ways to store renewable energy will be crucial to transitioning to clean energy and averting the worst effects of climate change.…
Duke Energy to resubmit plan to close Gallagher coal station basins
Duke Energy to resubmit plan to close Gallagher coal station basins May 12, 2022 Duke Energy had been working on plans to close its Gallagher Station years before it officially announced the decision in 2021. The station was a two-unit, coal-fired generating facility that opened in 1958, according to Duke…
Nuclear plant owner Talen Energy Supply files for bankruptcy
Nuclear plant owner Talen Energy Supply files for bankruptcy May 11, 2022 Talen Energy Supply, the owner of the Susquehanna nuclear power plant in Salem Twp., has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The Woodlands, Texas-based company, a unit of Talen Energy Corp. which runs 18 power generation facilities, filed for…
High pump prices the result of a suite of market issues and not simply price gouging, study says
High pump prices the result of a suite of market issues and not simply price gouging, study says Energize Weekly, May 18, 2002 Oil companies have been in the crosshairs of lawmakers for either price gouging or not producing enough oil as gasoline pump prices have soared, but a new…
U.S. Proposes $1 Million Fine on Colonial Pipeline for Safety Violations After Cyberattack
U.S. Proposes $1 Million Fine on Colonial Pipeline for Safety Violations After Cyberattack May 10, 2022 The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has proposed a penalty of nearly $1 million to Colonial Pipeline for violating federal safety regulations, worsening the impact of the ransomware…
California Power Officials Warn of Power Shortfalls This Summer Amid Increasing Strain from Climate Change
California Power Officials Warn of Power Shortfalls This Summer Amid Increasing Strain from Climate Change May 6, 2022 California power regulators are warning of power shortages and possible blackouts this summer as the state’s electrical grid faces increasing strain from drought and extreme heat. “We know reliability is going to…
Tampa Electric, Duke Energy seek approval for storm-project money
Tampa Electric, Duke Energy seek approval for storm-project money May 4, 2022 As this year’s hurricane season gets ready to start June 1, major utilities have filed proposals that could lead to customers paying hundreds of millions of dollars in 2023 to help bolster electric systems against storms. Florida Power…
ERCOT monitoring aftermath of fire at power plant in Fort Bend County, officials say
ERCOT monitoring aftermath of fire at power plant in Fort Bend County, officials say May 9, 2022 Nearly 100 firefighters from over 20 different fire departments worked to put out a fire at a power plant that started in Fort Bend County Sunday, officials said. Firefighters responded to reports of…
BPUB customers to see higher bills as program ends
BPUB customers to see higher bills as program ends May 8, 2022 After getting the go-ahead from the Brownsville City Commission on May 3, the Brownsville Public Utility Board announced on May 4 that it will be updating its electric, water and wastewater rates. Read more
Pennsylvania House of Representatives passes package of bills that would reverse ban on fracking in Delaware River Basin
Pennsylvania House of Representatives passes package of bills that would reverse ban on fracking in Delaware River Basin May 2, 2022 The Pennsylvania House of Representatives Monday passed a package of legislation that would increase fossil fuel energy production in the state. This package of bills would significantly diminish the…
Colorado remains uninterested as others turn to nuclear power
Colorado remains uninterested as others turn to nuclear power May 2, 2022 Powering homes by splitting atoms is not part of Gov. Jared Polis’ Greenhouse Gas Roadmap plan for 100% carbon-free energy by 2040, with Colorado appearing uninterested in following other states that are moving to nuclear to supplement wind…
We Energies seeks rate plan to fund clean energy investments, grid hardening
We Energies seeks rate plan to fund clean energy investments, grid hardening May 02, 2022 We Energies proposed a new rate plan to the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSCW) last week, potentially raising customers’ rates for electricity, natural gas and steam next year to pay for a large-scale clean…
Power demand to grow in Tennessee Valley as economy electrifies, TVA CEO says
Power demand to grow in Tennessee Valley as economy electrifies, TVA CEO says April 28, 2022 Tennessee will soon become the No. 1 state for electric vehicle production as part of a power shift that could nearly double electricity demand in the Tennessee Valley over the next three decades, the…
Arkansas files lawsuit against EPA
Arkansas files lawsuit against EPA May 2, 2022 Environmental regulators in Arkansas filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, asking a federal court to grant relief from what they describe as “unlawful federal overreach.” The Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment alleges in its complaint that EPA’s objections…
Renewable generation making major inroads on the grid in Texas and California
Renewable generation making major inroads on the grid in Texas and California Energize Weekly, May 4, 2022 The steady increase in renewable energy generation – primarily wind and solar – is beginning to show signs of dramatically impacting electric grids around the country as it claims a larger and larger…